No takers for single pot license in Monroe

MONROE — City leaders don’t want a marijuana retail store in town and potential entrepreneurs in the new industry apparently got the message.

The state Liquor Control Board earmarked a license for one store in the city limits but no eligible applicant applied for it, an agency spokesman said.

That’s fine with the City Council, which in March passed an ordinance aimed at preventing retailers from setting up shop in city limits.

Council members approved rules to “prohibit the issuance of a business license to any business which operates in violation of local, state or federal law” and that pretty much covers growing, processing and retail sales of marijuana.

“I don’t think anyone on the council will be disappointed by the outcome,” Mayor Geoffrey Thomas said Wednesday, pointing out residents spoke loud and clear in public hearings of their concerns with marijuana businesses sprouting up in town.

The state agency allotted Snohomish County 35 stores — including Monroe. Of those, 19 are spread among the most populous cities and the rest scattered at-large, which is mostly in unincorporated areas.

Lotteries were conducted last week for five cities and for the at-large area because the number of applicants exceeded the number of allotted stores. Each lottery produced a list of applicants to be reviewed.

Earlier this week, the state released information about applicants in the five cities in Snohomish County not requiring a lottery — Bothell, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mill Creek and Mukilteo.

Each applicant will be subject to the state’s licensing process, which includes background checks and an inspection of the proposed store locations. If an applicant picked in the lottery fails to pass muster the liquor board will move on to the next applicant on the list.

And in situations where two applicants are approved for the same address, the landlord will choose which one can stay, and the other will be given time to find a different location.

The Liquor Control Board hopes to begin issuing licenses in early July.

Locations

Here are proposed locations of stores in communities without a lottery: